"I'm going to have to apologise Nathan, had I known of my fellow council members plans I would have said something." Roden apologised as he was informed of the events that had taken place earlier in the day.

"It's fine Roden, you didn't know, I'm just glad that no one was left with any fatal injuries that couldn't be treated." Nathan waved Rosens apology off with his hand while blasting a pile of rubble with his arm cannon. "Mental and emotional injuries however..."

"Yeah, it's safe to say a good amount of the foals in town were scared for life by that thing that attacked us." Krystal said absentmindedly as she walked past the two while wiring up her soon to be robot companion.

"Yeah, don't remind me..." Nathan groaned and rubbed his face at the thought of the mortified foals that had saw their family members with some limbs gone. "Roden, don't suppose you have some way of letting them forget what they saw?"

Roden took a moment to consider the request. "I may have something, but I fee,as though it may be better to have them go through therapy and allowing them to keep,the experience to learn from instead of just forgetting it ever happened."

"Well you're more knowledgeable than me in this situation so I'm gonna have to take your word for it." As he was about to go over so,e damage reports Sonata flew down in her siren form and rested on Nathan's shoulders.

"I looked all over but I couldn't find Sapphire anywhere."

"I'll go look for her, I'm the one that needs to talk to her anyways...god I hate being seen as the bad guy."

"That's part of your job as a parent, you will be seen as the antagonist sometimes but it's what you do to mend the fragile bond that makes up for it." Roden explained with a hint of experience in the field.

"That sounds a bit more personal than when you explained anything else to us, why is that?" Nathan asked as he lifted a fallen tree off of a road.

"I'm an immortal being that has been around for billions if not zillions of years, I've lost count. I've had a few mortal spouses in my time and have had many children that I loved dearly, I've been through it all. That is why I sound experienced in the matter, because I am." The displacer explained with a sad sigh. "And not a day goes by that I don't miss each and every one of them."

Sonata and Nathan looked at each other with sympathy for the void dweller who looked to be fighting back tears. 'Even brings like him have emotions and experience loss.' Nathan thought as he imagined what would happen if Sonata and all of his children were to fall, he'd be left alone, would probably shut off his personality and become a subservient robot warrior for Equestria to keep his body busy while he grieved in the mind. "Hey, Roden, how about after I fix things up,with Sapphire you and I go out for a drink or something, just hang out a bit, you look like you need a break?"

"Hmmm, it has been awhile since I've rested...might as well."

Meanwhile

Sapphire sat in the middle of the Whitetail Woods, hidden away by the leaves and thick logs, hugging her legs close to her chest as she cried...and cried...and cried.

How could she be so foolish? She knew better than to jump the gun and fire on a random stranger. It was her faith that her brothers, sisters, parents and friends were out in danger.

She kept repeating this to herself in a very unhealthy manner. She just kept saying it quietly in between sobs.

Her guns taken away, her emotions all over the place and her home in ruins, Sapphire had no idea what to do, all she could do was cry her eyes out while silently punishing herself for it. "I can't even *sniff* control myself...I almost got everyone killed...I'm a failure..." Sge didn't know how to react properly, one because she was young and two, she still had to experience most emotions.

"Yes...you are..."

Looking up Sapphire saw a cloud of dark purple mist seep out of the treeline and form into the body of a Nightmare. Sapphire just growled and reached for her wrench.

"Now now, there's no need to get hostile with one of your brethren." Nightmare said while putting up his claws in a sign of surrender.

"What? Brethren? I've only got one brother right now, and I don't think dad is the one to cheat."

Nightmare suddenly slithered over to Sapphire almost instantly and looked her in the eye. "Don't you remember what made you! You're half Nightmare Fuel, you're one of us, born from Nightmare blood and a displaceds negative energy. A strange but not unwelcome combination."

As Nightmare leaned closer Sapphire began to sweat in nervousness.

"You can feel it can't you? The Nightmare inside you calls out, begging to be released." Nightmare cupped her cheek in his claw and smirked. "Eventually, you'll lose control of yourself and slaughter everyone you hold dear....that is, if you don't learn to control the Nightmare you are made up of."

Sapphire just watched him uncomfortably as he bent his body in ways that wouldn't be physically possible for any living thing...ever.

I can help you control it...I can help you become greater...I can help you show your father that you don't need him."

As Nightmare was about to place two claw fingers on Sapphires head to possess her entire mind, a large ball of blue and grey spikes shot out of the leaves and nailed Nightmare in the chest. "Metal?"

"Sapphire, run to your father, now." Metal instructed as he charged head first at the powerful Nightmare. Sapphire just shakily nodded before rubbing off.

Nightmare got to his feet and laughed at the displaced. "Well well, if it isn't the Black Plain Raid survivor himself. What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"The same thing that brings me to any universe...I have people I need to protect."